---
title: "Real Median Weekly Earnings"
slug: the-median-check
summary: "Real median weekly earnings fell to $370 in Q3 2026, in 1982-84 dollars"
category: "The Deal"
unit: dollars
frequency: quarterly
direction: lower_is_worse
latest_value: 370.0
latest_period: "2026-Q3"
trend: falling
last_updated: "2026-10-21T00:00:00Z"
source: "U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data retrieved via FRED"
source_url: https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/LES1252881600Q
canonical_html: https://americandefault.org/indicators/the-median-check/
citation_apa: "Kilburn, R. (2026). Real Median Weekly Earnings [Data set]. American Default Research. https://americandefault.org/indicators/the-median-check/"
citation_chicago: "Kilburn, Ross. 2026. \"Real Median Weekly Earnings.\" American Default Research. https://americandefault.org/indicators/the-median-check/."
citation_mla: "Kilburn, Ross. \"Real Median Weekly Earnings.\" American Default Research, 2026, americandefault.org/indicators/the-median-check/."
---

# Real Median Weekly Earnings

Also tracked as The Median Check.

> Real median weekly earnings fell to $370 in Q3 2026, in 1982-84 dollars

## Current Reading

As of 2026-Q3, Real Median Weekly Earnings is **$370** (falling — worsening for households).

Median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers, in 1982-84 dollars, BLS, seasonally adjusted, down from $376 a year earlier.

## What Changed

- Real median weekly earnings of full-time workers fell to $370 (1982-84 dollars) in Q3 2026, from $378 in Q2 2026.
- Lower than a year earlier, when it was $376.
- The lowest since Q2 2024.

## Recent Values

| Period | Value |
|--------|-------|
| 2026-Q3 | $370 |
| 2026-Q2 | $378 |
| 2026-Q1 | $376 |
| 2025-Q3 | $376 |
| 2025-Q2 | $376 |
| 2025-Q1 | $373 |
| 2024-Q4 | $374 |
| 2024-Q3 | $371 |
| 2024-Q2 | $368 |
| 2024-Q1 | $365 |
| 2023-Q4 | $369 |
| 2023-Q3 | $366 |

## Historical Context

This series is not comparable end to end, so no all-time extreme or long-run average is published for it. The source changed what it measures on the following date(s):

- Q1 1994: BLS redesigned the Current Population Survey questionnaire in January 1994, letting people report earnings in the time frame easiest for them; in the 1993 parallel survey the full-time median came out somewhat higher under the new questions, so earlier values are not like-for-like. Source: https://www.bls.gov/cps/revisions1994.pdf

Compare readings only within a single segment. Subtracting across one of these dates measures the change in method, not in household conditions.

## Methodology

This indicator carries quarterly observations and is interpreted as lower values indicate worse household conditions. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data retrieved via FRED.
Automation: collected automatically on the daily refresh pipeline, with no hand entry.

## Source

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data retrieved via FRED — [https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/LES1252881600Q](https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/LES1252881600Q)

Data retrieved: 2026-10-21T00:00:00Z

## Related Indicators

- [atlanta-fed-wage-growth-tracker-1st-quartile](https://americandefault.org/indicators/atlanta-fed-wage-growth-tracker-1st-quartile/)
- [shop-floor-pay](https://americandefault.org/indicators/shop-floor-pay/)

## Machine-Readable Endpoints

- HTML page: https://americandefault.org/indicators/the-median-check/
- JSON: https://americandefault.org/api/indicators/the-median-check.json
- CSV: https://americandefault.org/api/downloads/the-median-check.csv
- BibTeX: https://americandefault.org/citations/the-median-check.bib
- RIS: https://americandefault.org/citations/the-median-check.ris

## Citation

**APA 7th**

    Kilburn, R. (2026). Real Median Weekly Earnings [Data set]. American Default Research. https://americandefault.org/indicators/the-median-check/

**Chicago (author-date)**

    Kilburn, Ross. 2026. "Real Median Weekly Earnings." American Default Research. https://americandefault.org/indicators/the-median-check/.

**MLA 9th**

    Kilburn, Ross. "Real Median Weekly Earnings." American Default Research, 2026, americandefault.org/indicators/the-median-check/.

Use **American Default Research** as the institutional name in source lists, bibliographies, and press citations. **American Default** is the brand and URL form. **American Distress Index (ADI)** is the product name for the national composite score.